Taurus Faeces at Fringe

Posted on by Thor

In Taurus Faeces, Deanna Braunstein shared the gift of her mothers many stories in this solo show. These were tales of Life,  Love, truth and some crap. One daughter became a playwright and the other an actress proving that their mom passed along her love of theater and story telling. The title comes from the fact that mom didn’t like her kids to ever curse. Instead she insisted that they learn to curse in Latin and Bull Sh*t translates into Taurus Faeces.

The Red venue was crowded to overflowing so I  used my art stool and sat on the sidelines. Press has shown up in droves indication that there is a high interest in this years Fringe Festival. Reviews, commentary and an excited buzz have begun.

The most visual story involved mom learning that a child will create with poop if given the chance. She entered a room with poop speared walls, floors and even ceiling. Apparently there is a trick in tying a diaper which makes access to the creative substance impossible. She had to clean her child multiple times to erase the memory. However she didn’t learn her lesson because the incident was repeated. The compelling stories were related with emotional theatricality. Her mom’s every nuance was brought to life.

Deanna ended the show saying that everyone has a story to tell, and if you ever plan to have children you should talk to your elder relatives and learn their stories. Those stories will want to be heard someday by the generations to come. Listen, live, love and share.

Tickets to Taurus Faeces are $12. The show runs 60 minutes and is in the Red Venue on the second floor of the Orlando Shakes, 812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803. For ages 13 and up with some mild language.

Remaining show dates are:

Monday May 21, 2018 at 7:30pm

Thursday May 24, 2018 at 6:00pm

Saturday May 26, 2018 at 3:00pm

Sunday May 27, 2018 at 8:00pm

For Love Sir: Letters of Life, Love, and Sacrifice

Posted on by Thor

Mikael A. Duffy of Bent Book Productions wrote For Love Sir: Letters of Life, Love, and Sacrifice and she invited me to a rehearsal at Dragonfly Studio and Productions, (133 W McKey St, Ocoee, FL 3476.) This Fringe Production was built around real letters home from service men and women.  “For Love, Sir” is a beautiful and poignant piece following the lives of
three service members and their families as they experience the
hardships and lifestyle of active duty. This story is inspired by real soldiers
and their families over the course of American History.

Two young lovers have to separate as he goes off to service, a mother has to leave her daughter behind and a son leaves his loving mother. Their stories unfold as they write home. Ideals turn to the gritty reality of the senseless violence to the point where the son can no longer write the truth of his new reality. Though staged in modern day fatigues and uniforms, the language has the romantic flair that existed when people wrote letters rather than 140 character tweets. Only at the end of the play does it become clear that these letters were written during the civil war, World War I and Vietnam. It became clear that the overriding themes of love and loss never change with time. The sacrifices remain the same.

When the mother and daughter tearfully ran towards each other to be reunited, a chair got in their way and they couldn’t decide which way to get around the obstacle to embrace. It was a funny but very real accident of staging that I hope remains in the final run through. Being an early rehearsal there were a few kinks yet to be worked out. But it was was very clear that this production has heart.

Tickets are $12 along with the purchase of a Fringe button which is needed to get in any play during this 13 day festival that runs from May 15th to May 28th. For Love Sir: Letters of Life, Love, and Sacrifice is in the Red Venue inside the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (812 East Rollins Street
Suite 300 Orlando, FL 32803).

The remaining show dates are:

1:00 PM 

8:00 PM 

8:00 PM 

8:45 PM 

6:30 PM

Do you Fringe? If so, I will see you on the Loch Haven park Lawn of Fabulousness. Let me know which shows I absolutely HAVE to sketch.

Are you a bully or the bull?

Posted on by Thor

Tasty Monster Productions from the United Kingdom presented Ferdinand in the Red venue of this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival. The show was inspired by the classic children’s book “The Story of Ferdinand” by
Munro Leaf, Ferdinand tells the story of Tom, a single dad struggling to
raise his son in a world determined to make him fight. Raised on the
story of his namesake Ferdinand, the bull who refused to fight but just
wanted to sit and smell the flowers, young Ferdy learns the hard lessons
in life as his father tries to shield him from the harsh realities of
adulthood.

Tom reads the story of Ferdinand the bull to his son so many times at night that the boy knows the story by heart. Tom’s increasingly demanding job keeps pulling him away from being able to spent time with his son.  He brings his son into work for “bring your child to work day”.  At the end of the work day his boss came in and demanded that he stay late. He starts yelling and bullying Tom in front of his son. Furious, Tom
clenches his fists and is ready to punch his boss. His son however stops
him, reminding him to be the bull not the bully. Tom does however quite
his job on the spot.

The boy begs his dad to come to a school play. It turned out that his son was playing the title roll as the kind natured bull Ferdinand. Tom’s boss is also in the audience.  He confides that he wasn’t ready for all the new responsibility and he needed Tom’s expertise to get through the rough patch. Tom is hired back and for the first time sees the more human side of his boss, who was there to see his own son in the play.



This was a simple heart warming tale about the difficulties of raising a child alone. It was a solo show with heart and sincerity. I was surprised that some people don’t know the story of Ferdinand the Bull. I included a link to the Disney Animated classic above, so if you don’t know the story, then at least watch the animated short.

Autobahn shines it’s headlights on the drama of road trips.

Posted on by Thor

Handwritten Productions presented Autobahn written by Neil Labute, in the Red Venue of this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival. It presented five one act scenes with the audience voyeuristicly looking through the windshield at couples in the front seats of their car. The show began with headlights shining in the audiences eyes. The first scene featured a young woman, (Kristen Shoffner) in a black skull T-shirt slouching down in the passenger seat. Presumably her mother, (Candy Heller) sat stoic and silent behind the driving wheel. The young woman chatted non-stop while the driver never spoke and always seemed a bit annoyed. It became clear over time that the young woman had beer released from a rehab program. She had learned how to give the staff all the right answers. The one thing she had learned is that she needed to have one person she could always confide in. She informed the driver that it was her lucky day because she would always confide in her. What she confided however was that she couldn’t wait to start using again. She missed the rush, the heavenly high. It was clear that the stoic driver wasn’t pleased, but she must have had a checkered past as well because the passenger felt no one would take the driver’s word were she to try and turn the young woman in.

A boy and girl sat in a car with a bench seat at a lovers point. The girl, (Jillian Gizzi) was on edge because she thought the boy, (Adam DelMedica)  might want to break up with her. Instead then began to make out. When they come up for air she tells him  about the last boy who broke up with her. She sought revenge by mailing dead mice to his house from different locations. She rejoiced in the fact that police were unable to stop her. The boy’s face turned pale as he heard about her fatal attraction and unending need for revenge. He had been happy with their relationship, but now he clearly wanted out but was to frightened to broach the subject.

The scene that hit closest to home for me featured an older man behind the wheel, (Lucas Perez) and a young girl curled up in the passenger’s seat (Marisa Nieves Hemphill). From their first interactions I presumed this was a father and daughter. He chastised her for her behavior in a rest stop where her temper tantrum had gotten him quite upset. However, the more they spoke, the less close they seemed. I kept trying to guess her age. When she was curled up in the fetal position she seemed like such a young child but as they spoke she seemed to mature. The drivers affection for the girl seemed fine when I imagined he was her dad but when it became clear he was a stranger, his affection became menacing. He was her driver’s ed instructor and he was taking her to a secluded cabin. I wanted to shout out, “Get out of the car!” But instead she chatted amicably seeking forgiveness for her outburst at the rest stop. He spotted a deer on the side of the road, and she begged him to turn around so she could see it. He refused. He was now clearly in control. She curled up again. He asked, “Can I touch your hair?” She asked “Why?” “Because I want to.” he replied. The lights dimmed as he ran his fingers through her hair. Marisa, the actress in this scene, resembles a friend of mine who once confided that a relative had sexually abused her. This is more common than I ever imagined here in Florida. Another friend, who later committed suicide confided that her brother had done the same when she was very young. She had blocked that memory for years. When it resurfaced, she couldn’t live with it. This scene sticks with me because I wish that the inevitable tragedy could be averted.

The plays title comes from the last scene in which the woman says that perhaps the Germans had it right with their Autobahn in that there should be no speed limits and we should speed through life never having time to see the people speeding past us. We are all in a mad automotive rush, but to what end, what final destination? I can’t shake this play which first appeared at the Little Shubert Theater in NYC on March 8, 2004. This is what Fringe does best, five one act scenes that will linger forever. This was the Patron’s Pick in the Red Venue so there is one more performance.

Autobahn

Last performance: Monday May 25,  12:30pm to 1:30pm

Length: 60 minutes.

Venue: Red (Shakes behind through the courtyard and up to a second floor theater)

Rated: 18+ for language and sexual themes

Tickets: $11 (+service charge)